~The next morning was slow and agonizing. Zane had asked Dan to take the day off and just mope in his room all day, and Wrench declared she had something important to do. Dan had said that today wasn't a good day to be working anyway. All the boys certainly had changed, especially since Zane was the one who was so low under the weather today. Jack was next to Zane all day, always wanting to do something for him. Wrench stayed out of his way, saying she didn't want to be in his personal bubble.

But Zane at one point didn't want Wrench to go. She simply gripped his shoulders and said gently, "Zane, I've got some really important business. I have to get it done." So while she yanked on a pair of dark jeans with Zane's back turned-she didn't dare get ready in her own bathroom; she was terrified it'd smell like Conner's blood though it wans't even the right bathroom-she told Zane she had something important.

But Zane shook his hair. "But...I love Jack, but you're the only one I need right now," he complained. Wrench had strapped on her favorite boots, black chucks with silver buckles around the ankles, and popped her head through her black hoodie. Wrench knew she looked good in bright colors, but she preferred to wear black since it fit her well. The boys back then used to tease her about being goth, but she hardly looked goth.

Zane's cheeks started to get wet again. Wrench felt so bad. But she desperately wanted to do this. She hugged him around the thick waist, and Zane's hands were holding her neck.

Wrench left Zane in her bedroom, and now she was walking toward the back fence separating the woods from the shop's grounds.

A strong push if Power made her trip over her own feet, and she crashed to the ground. And something white flashed in front of her vision. She froze, not knowing exactly what had happened.

Power can be from anything, anyone, anytime, she thought, remembering words that an old priest used to say to her in Spain before she left for the New World. Wrench whirled onto her feet, and decided to follow the line of Power that it came from. From experience, Wrench knew that when someone with Power uses it from a distance, no matter how far away they are, they leave an invisible trail of stale Power, and even if the person walked away, the Power trail would be like a string to the person, always following them until the Power faded. But when Power was casted, it fades quickly, so Wrench changed into a raven and followed the Power as best as she could.

The Power didn't feel like Damon's; it felt more powerful. Wrench followed it, senses and mind thrown outward to feel the Power's tickling feeling until she saw a black crow flying toward the high school from a huge house with an on-going party. The crow was being followed by Elena Gilbert, which made Wrench's anger rise.

Wrench sensed something in Damon. She reached out unnoticed and tickled his mind with her mental fingers. She saw Stefan in his mind, Stefan laying on the ground, a stake above his chest...oh boy.

Wrench suddenly felt that maybe she should help...wait a moment, Tanya Mai Salvatore! What the hell are you thinking?!

But still...She rolled her eyes, then took off after Damon.

Damon's thoughts were mirrored in the back of the school. Stefan was laying across the grass with a Mr. Forbes hovering over him, a stake high above his chest, and he looked weak and pale. Elena and Damon were already grappling with the men. Caroline Forbes was huddles against one of the dark cars, and she started to whimper.

Wrench dove from the air, shifting her body into long lean muscles...a tail...four paws...whiskers...the men were shocked when the great hunting cat came plummeting down from the sky.

Everyone froze. Even Elena and Damon, shaped like a wolf, stared wide eyed as Wrench stalked forward on her paws, growling low and menacing. She crept forward, until her paws were on the snowy grass in front of Mr. Forbes. He aimed a rifle at her face, and she snapped at his hand, blood spraying as she took off a finger. Or two. The rifle bounced across the grass. He screamed at the agony, staring at the leopard with complete shock and pain. Wrench snarled, and arched her back.

Wrench bared her cat teeth and crouched low, backing up slowly. She placed her paws over Stefan's shaking body, her body hovered over Stefan protectively. One of them whispered, "Where did that leopard come from?" and Wrench recognized him as Mr. Bennett, Vicki Bennett's father. Damon had silently stalked over and glowered next to Wrench, growling chainsaw like. Both animals were snarling and baring sharp teeth when someone finally yelled, "Everybody stop! Just stop everything, right where you are!"

Wrench jumped at the sharp voice-she had no idea who said it-and she disappeared into the shadows when a car swiveled into the parking lot. Damon followed her, and both vampires took form, Elena jumping into the shadows with them.

Alaric Saltzman, Bonnie McCullough, Meredith Sulez, and Matt Honeycutt ran out of Alaric's car, stopping in front of the group of men. Bonnie was small and with tranculent skin and shiny brown eyes, her hair a small mass of red curls. Meredith was tall with dark hair and thick dark lashes, and had luminous tan skin and shiny green eyes. Matt had the All-American guy looks, like blond hair and blue eyes, with a square jaw and a dark tan.

Alaric was someone Wrench had never seen before. He had sandy blond hair and muddy brown eyes, dark skin, and a lean body. His eyes were fixed on Mr. Smallwood, father of Tyler Smallwood. Alaric and Mr. Smallwood were arguing about the situation, and the three hiding vampires listened with out hearing much.

Eventually, the men departed, and Caroline followed slowly, shaking slightly. Alaric was left standing in grass alone with Matt and Bonnie and Meredith behind him. When the men were gone, Elena shot out of the shadows, and fell to Stefan's side, a worried expression crossing her pretty little features. Damon had disappeared to somewhere else. Wrench, feeling cautious, stayed cloaked in the shadows around her.

Elena was gushing, "Stefan, are you alright? Did they hurt you?" while smoothing back his hair.

Wrench rolled her eyes, and watched Stefan clutched her hand to steady himself. He turned to Alaric. "Thank you. Why?"

Alaric nodded, and Bonnie said, "He's on our side, Stefan."

Suddenly, Damon's silhouette formed out of nowhere, and said, "I'm not the only you should thank, little brother." Damon's coal eyes turned to Wrench hiding in the shadows. She flinched, knowing Damon was going to say something like that and tell Stefan it was Wrench whom saved his pathetic life.

Wrench stepped out of the shadows. Bonnie's eyes and even Meredith's eyes popped out of their sockets. Matt and Alaric gasped, and Wrench, feeling offended, said defensively, "What? Am I the new freak show around here now?"

Elena cranked her head around, and gave Damon a questioning stare. He shrugged and looked at Wrench. She rolled her eyes again. "I was on my way to talk to you, Damon, but I peeked into your thoughts and saw poor, poor Stefan about to get staked. So I followed you and Gilbert here." She flicked a hand toward Elena and Stefan.

Damon smirked. "And you think I'm the only one who follows people around?" he muttered into her ear when he walked by. She knocked him off his feet by shocking him sharply, and Elena and the rest of the group was staring at her. Damon flitted onto his feet. Wrench crossed her arms over her chest.

Elena finally spoke to be rid of the high tension among the two Salvatore siblings as they faced each other off. "Maybe we should talk somewhere more private," she suggested.

Alaric nodded. "I've got my keys with me. We can go to the history classroom," he said, starting toward the school's front doors.

Wrench shook her head. "I have better things to do than follow you people around. I'm outta here." She turned on her heel and walked away. Elena ran up to her and grabbed Wrench's arm. Wrench spun around and scratched Elena's cheek. Elena gasped and fell to the ground. Blood dripped from her cheek, and Stefan bent over her, touching her golden hair.

"I dare you to touch me again, bitch!" she spat, hissing. Alaric got in between them and pushed against Wrench's chest.

"Hey. No fighting. Please, just listen to me and the others. You don't have to participate. Just listen. Please," he said gently. Wrench was gazing at Elena venomously, eyes shooting fury. Elena winced at the piercing daggers Wrench threw at her.

Wrench shrugged off Alaric's hand, and stared at him. "Why should I? I'm nothing but a whisper in the wind. Everyone would forget about me eventually."

Bonnie came forward slowly. "Please, Wrench. Just this once," she murmured, remembering Wrench's threat a few days ago about her name. Wrench turned her stare to Bonnie, and Bonnie visibly flinched at her cold stare. Bonnie blushed, and looked away shyly. She even backed up to get away from Wrench's rolling fury.

Wrench crossed her arms. "I'll do it; under one condition," she said, looking at Damon. He gazed back, waiting.

"One question," she started. "Did you kill Conner O'Donnell?"

Damon didn't even blink. "No. I don't even know who that is," he said unemotionally. Wrench felt like falling to the ground and laugh with joy. But she still needed to find the mystery out. She looked at Stefan and Elena. They both shook there heads, black waves mingling with golden water.

Meredith stepped forward. "Let's go into the classroom," she said. Everyone started for the double glass doors that led to the front hall of the school. The air was suddenly not so calm and cold like it had been a few moments ago. The oxygen now smelled tainted, like stale Power had been spilled into the air. Damon, Stefan, Wrench, and Elena all stopped and stiffened. The mortals stopped and watched the immortals look around and sniff the air. Stefan and Elena hovered around each other, and Wrench and Damon became defensive and crouched low. Wrench reached out with her mind and realized that the stale Power had that same vibe as the trail of Power that had knocked her off her feet back at the shop.

"Let's go inside," Damon said quietly, and tugged on Wrench's arms. She froze at the touch.

But before she left, a white owl stood on a branch watching her with it's blue eyes. She hissed at it and followed Damon into the building.

A/N: I know that this chapter wasn't so good, and it doesn't really explain much. But we are getting close to solving the mystery of Conner O'Donnell. And I forgot to say something. If you haven't noticed, this story follows the original Vampire Diaries stories, but I added this story with it. So if you are reading this and haven't read the Vampire Diaries books, then STOP READING!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

~Thanx for your guy's time!!!!

~vampworm